$3 billion.
That’s how much money AT&T pledged toward providing under-served communities with affordable access to reliable, high speed, fiber internet. The federal government’s Broadband, Equity, Access & Deployment Program (BEAD) provided an opportunity for AT&T to supplement this commitment, but the materials weren’t getting the job done. AT&T had stalled out on securing BEAD contracts.
The solution? A more focused and streamlined messaging system driven by research and design thinking methodologies. I created a centralized, modular, and scalable messaging system that could:
Convince government decision makers that AT&T was the best internet provider for their BEAD allocation
Be tailored to various use cases and empower AT&T employees to effectively communicate AT&T's value proposition in current and future markets
Increase AT&T’s fiber footprint, market presence, and competitive position
My role
Content designer
Deliverables
Content and messaging framework
14 Pitch deck templates
3 Infographic templates
4 one-pager templates
Team
Design - Robert Garcia
Ops - Kathy Martinez
When
October 2023
Approach
Understand BEAD
Priority number one was to understand how BEAD works, the communities that participate, and what those communities look for when choosing providers. I learned that government decision-makers preferred local providers, but these providers were often smaller companies that lacked the capacity to establish high-speed internet in new areas.Review existing materials
After learning about BEAD, I looked at how the original assets positioned AT&T to win BEAD funding. In short, they didn’t. They were too technical and generic and didn’t effectively communicate the benefits of AT&T to BEAD decision-makers. The materials highlighted the breadth of AT&T’s portfolio but didn’t emphasize how our community programs and services have bolstered communities like theirs.Keep it simple
We needed to streamline content and design to make them easier to use and to help AT&T BEAD teams get to the heart of the matter: AT&T is invested in closing the digital divide and is the best option for communities with BEAD funding allocations.Shift the focus from the company to the people
Our new assets had to be rooted in empathy for the people in BEAD communities. With this in mind, I built a content framework to guide the development and design of the new materials. It positioned AT&T as members of the community, not strangers, and highlighted:How a community-first fiber internet strategy makes it easier for communities to work, play, learn, and access necessary resources—and the unique advantages communities access when AT&T is present.
The ways AT&T could build on these communities’ existing efforts to expand access to high-speed internet and bring jobs by hiring local talent to complete the work.
The unique advantages communities access when AT&T is present, such as additional discounts, technology giveaways, homework help, and more.
The confidence that choosing AT&T can provide. It’s not just access to reliable, high-speed internet. It’s a commitment from a company that has a 150-year track record of getting the job done quickly and correctly.
Solution
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AT&T BEAD teams needed to be able to deploy the assets right away. To do this, we created templates for pitch decks, infographics, and one-pagers. Each template included instructions for how to tailor each asset to the community they were being used for and tips on information to include and exclude in different situations. I also created a storyline teams and AT&T executives could use when building out their talking points.
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AT&T BEAD teams needed to be able to deploy the assets right away. To do this, we created templates for pitch decks, infographics, and one-pagers. Each template included instructions for tailoring each asset to the community for which it was intended and tips on what information to include and exclude in different situations. I also created a storyline that teams and AT&T executives could use when building out their talking points.
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The new content framework offered an improved, visually appealing approach to messaging. This enabled BEAD teams to tell the AT&T story, add a hyper-local approach to RFP’s, and communicate our central theme consistently: AT&T is committed to closing the digital divide and is the best option for communities receiving BEAD funds.
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The team included stakeholders at various milestones, pressure testing the messaging, outlines, and design choices throughout the process. Both design decisions and feedback were challenged, but ultimately, we landed on a set of assets that fit the needs of the people using them while staying true to the message.
Results
AT&T BEAD teams were able to implement the assets almost immediately, even amid personnel gaps and overload. Since anyone could use and update the templates, teams didn’t need a graphic designer or spend time doing cumbersome reviews. The templates reduced the time BEAD teams needed to prepare for pitches, increasing their bandwidth to pursue new opportunities.
“With the help of this team, we are able to strengthen our relationships with local/federal officials to position AT&T for success with BEAD. Fun fact...We already used the deck in Kentucky to present our bid to the state and why they should pick AT&T.”
“We’re positioned better than ever now. We have a plan and process that showcase why AT&T is the provider of choice and demonstrate our ability to scale as our BEAD efforts ramp up. Your efforts showcase the power of design thinking.”
